{"id":104,"date":"2024-04-11T21:39:53","date_gmt":"2024-04-11T21:39:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/bursariesafrica.co.za\/unisa\/?page_id=104"},"modified":"2026-09-17T13:47:19","modified_gmt":"2026-09-17T13:47:19","slug":"higher-certificate-in-education-unisa","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.bursariesafrica.co.za\/unisa\/higher-certificate-in-education-unisa\/","title":{"rendered":"Higher Certificate In Education at Unisa"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Unisa offers the Higher Certificate in Education (HCE) as an accessible entry point for aspiring educators. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

This one-year program equips you with the foundational knowledge and skills necessary for success in the classroom, while also preparing you for further studies in education.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What are the admission requirements for the HCE program at Unisa?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

To be eligible for the HCE program at Unisa<\/a>, applicants must fulfill the following criteria:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \n
  1. School qualification: A National Senior Certificate (NSC) with at least 40% in the language of teaching and learning, or a Senior Certificate with at least an E symbol on HG or a D symbol on SG in that language, or a National Certificate (Vocational) Level 4 with the equivalent of at least 40% in that language.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  2. Language: Unisa teaches and examines in English, so your mark in the language of teaching and learning counts. Unisa does not list a separate language test.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  3. Prior Learning: While not mandatory, relevant work or volunteer experience in an educational environment can be advantageous.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n

    Is the HCE program at Unisa a teaching qualification?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

    The HCE program itself is not a recognized teaching qualification. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    However, successful completion allows graduates to progress into specific BEd programs at Unisa, leading to a recognized teaching qualification.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    How do I apply for the HCE program at Unisa?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

    The application process for the HCE program is conducted online through the Unisa website. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Prospective students are encouraged to consult the latest admission deadlines and application procedures on the Unisa website<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Who is the HCE program for? <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

    The HCE program caters to individuals who have an NSC, a Senior Certificate or a National Certificate (Vocational) Level 4 and have a strong desire to pursue a teaching career.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    It is also for students who may not meet the standard entry requirements for Bachelor of Education (BEd) degrees.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    The program acts as a means that provides learners with the foundational knowledge and skills necessary to succeed in a teaching environment, especially within the Open Distance Learning (ODL) context offered by Unisa.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    What are the different streams of the Higher Certificate in Education at Unisa?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

    The Higher Certificate in Education comes in three streams:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      \n
    1. Higher Certificate in Education Foundation Phase and Intermediate Phase (FIP)<\/strong>: This stream prepares you for teaching learners in Grades R to Grade 7. Unisa says only this stream may articulate into its Bachelor of Education in Foundation Phase Teaching.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
    2. Higher Certificate in Education Senior Phase and Further Education and Training Teaching (SPF)<\/strong> and Higher Certificate in Education Senior Phase Maths and Science Education (SMS)<\/strong>: Unisa also offers these two streams. Like the FIP stream, they are not professional teaching qualifications.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n

      How long does it take to complete the Higher Certificate in Education at Unisa?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

      The Higher Certificate in Education is a one-year program, consisting of 120 credits.\u00a0 <\/p>\n\n\n\n

      Unisa operates on a semester system, so you can complete the program in two semesters if you study full-time. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

      Part-time study options are also available, allowing you to adjust the program’s duration to fit your schedule.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      How much does the Higher Certificate in Education at Unisa cost?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

      The tuition fees for the Higher Certificate in Education depend on the number of modules you register for. In 2026, an Education module\/paper cost R2,290 and a half module R1,145. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

      It is recommended that you visit the Unisa website’s fee structure section for the latest cost information.\u00a0 <\/p>\n\n\n\n

      Unisa also offers financial aid options such as bursaries and loans to assist eligible students.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

      Unisa offers the Higher Certificate in Education (HCE) as an accessible entry point for aspiring educators. This one-year program equips […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"_ba_keyfacts":"","_ba_provider_contact":"","_ba_provider_name":"","_ba_provider_type":"","_ba_provider_cat":"","_ba_writer":"pieter-van-der-merwe","_ba_reviewer":"naledi-khumalo","iawp_total_views":205,"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-104","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bursariesafrica.co.za\/unisa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/104","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bursariesafrica.co.za\/unisa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bursariesafrica.co.za\/unisa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bursariesafrica.co.za\/unisa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bursariesafrica.co.za\/unisa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=104"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.bursariesafrica.co.za\/unisa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/104\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1087,"href":"https:\/\/www.bursariesafrica.co.za\/unisa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/104\/revisions\/1087"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bursariesafrica.co.za\/unisa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=104"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}